Referring to steel and aluminum tariffs he has imposed on Canada, he wrote: “Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!” He has a point. But Trump’s complaint obscures the fact that Canada has in the past been open to allowing in dairy imports in exchange for appropriate concessions; that Canada complains that the U.S. subsidizes its own dairy industry; and, perhaps most important, that while Trudeau, like all Western leaders, might need a close relationship with the United States, he needs to appeal to domestic political realities even more.

At issue is the Canadian supply-management system, which covers dairy, eggs, and poultry products. The system sets domestic production quotas and keeps prices stable, thereby guaranteeing farmers a steady income. And, in order to keep the supply stable, Canada blocks imports from other countries, including the U.S., by imposing tariffs—up to 270 percent ondairy products.

Decades, in fact—and not just for the United States, whose dairy farmers would like access to the Canadian market, but also their counterparts in New Zealand and elsewhere. New Zealand had opposed Canada’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership over the supply-management system, but Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister at the time, agreed to dismantle the system in exchange for TPP membership. When the U.S. withdrew from the TPP, one of Trump’s first decisions as president, Canada withdrew that concession…

So concessions on dairy tariffs were withdrawn by Canada when Trump withdrew the US from the TPP.

Simplistic sound bites like “”Canada charges us 275% tariff on dairy products” don’t tell anywhere near the full story – they are deliberately misleading.

Like Trump’s insinuations that all illegal immigrants are a crime risk he keeps trashing Canada on their tariffs when Trump and the US are a large part of the trade problem.

peter payne, in reply to Russell Brown, 2 days ago
This tallies with an assessment I heard the other day from The Guardians Rafael Behr. The former Moscow correspondents take was that Putin’s whole intention is to undermine the rules-based world, returning to a 19th Century system where the powerful states can rule unimpeded. It’s the rational for Russian interference in the Brexit referendum, as well as the US election.

Gezza

Leaving out the word “illegally” from “anyone who illegally crosses the border” in the headline is badly misquoting him.

But Trump saying the Democrats support open borders is typical blatant lying. He’s let down by his supporters there – they keep pushing the whiny: “But but but – Obama did it too!” And it’s widely known deportations increased under Obama.

There’s nothing wrong with the US wanting to control immigration & their borders, & the solution IS for them to have the means necessary to stop people being able to cross their borders. Without those means, catch & deport policies after they’ve got in will never stop people wanting to sneak or break in, rather than stay in the hell hole countries they’ve come from.

It just means massive spending on sealing off & patrolling/policing the border. Constantly. Why not use the Army? Every recruit spends a year long tour on border patrol.